love the ride report I too geocache. Last year found a cache while out riding and read the logbbook inside, went to the website and joined in. geocaching takes you to some interesting places. Here in Arizona its very popular. I build a route on the website and they have a nice feature that downloads caches along it. I might only pick up a few but its fun. Some of the micros can be tough to find, and just started on my first multi-puzzle cache.

Nice Reporting as usual! I'm planning on geocaching around here this summer.
The "Crosses" you saw are aerial photography control panel points set by surveyors and used in photogrammetric mapping. GPS coordinates with "Survey Grade Accuracy" (+/- a couple centimeters) are established on the actual point in the center of the panel which is then used by the photogrammetrist to orient the aerial photo's to the regionally accepted horizontal / vertical coordinate system. Same application for those seen by travelers on paved routes that are painted on the asphalt along the sides of highways/streets, etc. A great deal more technical info to this brief explanation, but that becomes very boring in a real hurry.

Hi,

Great to have you along again.

Thanks for the explanation about the crosses. Interesting knowing what they are all about.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Valkiera

Always a pleasure to ride along with you LB, thanks

One of these days we will be able to ride together in real life. It looks like I will be making a few trips over to your side of the mountains this summer. Once I know the dates I will let you know.

Quote:

Originally Posted by refokus

Great RR, enjoying the pictures and the write up. Awesome

I look forward to following along. I need to go treasure hunting for some more geocaches, it's a good time.

Thank you. Yes, it is a good time maybe this thread will get you out looking for more.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BSkye

What a good way to find new unusual spots to ride to!

Hi, thanks for joining in. One of these days we need to go looking for a cache together. Maybe next weekend

Quote:

Originally Posted by surlywill

love the ride report I too geocache. Last year found a cache while out riding and read the logbbook inside, went to the website and joined in. geocaching takes you to some interesting places. Here in Arizona its very popular. I build a route on the website and they have a nice feature that downloads caches along it. I might only pick up a few but its fun. Some of the micros can be tough to find, and just started on my first multi-puzzle cache.

That's a cool way to be introduced to geocaching. Like you I only pick up a few along the way. There are always way more available than what I look for. Arizona has a lot of those cool "designer" caches. The ones where a hider creates a pattern with the cache hides. When looking at them on the map they look like a flower, bug, or whatever.

Micros are buggers to find at times. I give up on them quickly if I don't find them. I don't like spending hours looking for a needle in a haystack. One guy I caches with when I first started had a time limit for how long he would look for a cache and if he didn't find it by the end of the time he moved on. For some I will only breifly look and others I take more time and work harder on it. If it looks like a cache is along a steep bank with loose terrain I will pass on it. There were a couple like that during this ride and it's just not worth taking the chance climbing into terrain that could be dangerous. I don't think anyone would place a cache that they think is in a dangerous area but what's safe for one person isn't for another. I'm a klutz so I know there are some places I just shouldn't go.

I'll be doing my first multi either tomorrow or next Sunday. I have one in my sights that needs to be found. I haven't done the multis in the past but it's now time to expand my game.

Stopping and walking to the area of the cache location provided me with a view I otherwise would have missed. I didnít find the cache but I sure found a pretty view. As many time as I have ridden the paved road along the river (Hwy 12) until now I had no idea there was a road here.

Fun riding

That looks like a good camping spot down there. Another place I need to return to for more exploring.

Another stop to see if I could find a cache but was distracted by the view and didnít find the cache. (Thatís my story and Iím sticking to it )

While I was looking around a pickup with two men in it stopped. They were checking to make sure I was OK. They were very nice and telling me the people at the bottom of the hill are nice even though not many people are down there. They chatted for a few minutes and went on their way.

When I got here I knew I needed to turn right to go to Pardee but instead of doing that I decided to continue on straight to see where the well maintained road went.

The road went about another mile then turned into private property and appeared to end at a ranch. I decided to head back to where I intended to go to in the first place.

Not at Pardee yet but a stop for a cache brought me here.

As I started looking for the cache I became distracted by the concrete structure and wondered what it was.

I found the cache and it was time to move on. I was almost to the river so the road would be ending soon.

Down a hill and round a switch back and I was pretty much at the end of the road. Just around that bend is access to the river. Another good camping place.

I couldnít find much about Pardee and nothing about the concrete tower. This site says President Cleveland kept his Mistress in Pardee and had a bit of a trek to visit her.

Back up the hill I go. I decided to count the switchbacks on my way up. There were 13.

At the top of Carrot Ridge I took a different road rather than returning the same way I came down. I didnít know where the road would take me but I figured I would have fun finding out.

I think I found this in Woodland.

And a short distance down the road this nice barn.

I stopped at a viewpoint.

Thatís Kamiah and/or Kooskia down there.

This guy stopped to check on me. Actually he just stopped to chat but starting a conversation with "is everything OK" probably seems more professional than "cool, it looks like you are having fun let's talk about it".

He told me how much he enjoys the viewpoint and often takes his lunch break here. He point out Gospel Hump across the way and told me I would have a good time riding to Elk River. He wished me a good ride and was on his way.

I was on Woodland road which was a curvy road with lots of pretty views and it twisted and turned its way to the bottom of the valley.

At the bottom of the hill I rode through Kooskia, South on Hwy 13 then East on Hwy 14 following the Clearwater River (I think the south fork).

I really haven't abandoned this thread I was busy with the Hells Canyon Gathering and had to let this thread sit idle for a bit. Now to finish up with this 4 day adventure before telling you about Hells Canyon.

The spring run off has the rivers flowing hard.

Another cache stop and I find a pretty little water fall.

Stopped in Golden, ID to see what was there. This is what is there, thatís it Ė one building.

Looks like Elk City has everything needed.

A little rustic

Thereís gas available and thatís always a good thing

Looks like you can get a meal and wifi

I like that ATVs are legal to ride on roads in Idaho.

Elk City has more than one place to eat.

People live a simple lifestyle.

My plan was to ride over the mountain to Selway Rd. and drop down to OíHanna campground. I knew there was a chance that I would find snow but I got quite a ways before I started to see snow along the road.

Then I started finding snow on the road but only on half the road so all was good. This was at about 5000í and I thought I was at about the top of the mountain.

Of course that didnít last long and I started finding snow across the road but it was only short stretches.

When I came across a long stretch of snow at almost 6300í feet I decided it was time to turn around and go back rather than chancing it.

Even though I didnít get where I wanted to go it was another nice ride. The views looked different on the way back than they did on the way in.

At the viewpoint I thought it would be a nice place to camp but at the elevation I knew it would be cold and wanted to get to a lower elevation before stopping for the night.

Back down I went and back to hwy 14. Earlier I had spotted a road that look like it would have camping available and I was headed for that. First I needed to stop and check this out.

As a great end to the day I found a nice campsite.

I wanted to go camping as I was missing it and I now I was getting to. There was a lot wood for a campfire and I was looking forward to a nice fire but I couldnít keep the fire going. All that wood was super wet. Oh well, I had a good dinner and left overs to put in my thermos for the next day.

Cool stuff LB. The HC gathering thread brings me back to a few hunting trips in the Imnaha area while I was living in PDX. I may be downloading the "Auto-In" app soon assuming it still takes place same time next year.

When the sun set the night before the dew was setting in and everything became damp within just a few minutes. I crawled into my nice warm sleeping bag and was lulled to sleep by the nearby creek. Mmmmmmm just a little slice of paradise until about 4:00 am when I woke up cold. I threw my coat over my feet and tried to go back to sleep. Finally about 6:00 I gave up and got up. I walked around for a bit trying to get the blood flowing and went back to my sleeping bag. Nope that didnít work and I was still cold. Everything was covered in thin layer of ice so it had gotten colder during the night than I thought it would. Yep, Iím a wimp when it comes to being cold.

As I was packing up camp a couple came down the road and stopped to make sure I was OK. The lady couldnít believe I was out there camping all alone. They had been out driving in the mountains so she pulled out their Benchmark atlas and showed me where they had been stopped by snow. I wasnít the only one pushing the season. They too were having a good time even though they were turned back by the snow.

Back on the road following the river was an enjoyable ride even if I was still cold.

When I got to Kooskia, ID I wanted to find a cafť and have breakfast and a hot cup of coffee. I decided to take care of business first and get gas before partaking in the luxury of a hot meal in a warm building. I wanted to check my gas mileage so I snapped photos of how much gas and how many miles.

Not bad gas mileage. Time to go find that hot meal and warm building.

I parked behind a pickup parked in the biker parking area.

A man and woman came out of the bar and the man asked me how many ccs my bike had. I told him and he sort of snorted and said something like ďI guess it gets you where you want to goĒ. It was clear he did not approve. They walked to a beat up old car with a Harley sticker in the back window an drove away.

Gotta love people that think they are bikers.

I found a cafť, some hot coffee and great conversation. As I was finishing breakfast the last of the customers left, the breakfast rush was over and the lunch rush had not started yet. One of the waitresses walked over and struck up a conversation as I was putting on my jacket. She explained she used to ride trials in PA before she moved to the NW. Now she rides horses and ATVs. As we were talking I discovered she has worked during hunting season with an outfitter taking "city slickers" hunting, packing in by horseback and mules. She told me a few funny stories. She was a very interesting gal maybe in her 60s and I would have liked to talk with her more but she needed to get back to work and I needed to move down the road. She had weathered, wrinkled skin of a person who worked hard out in the sun and she was a beautiful person. She gave me a god bless and squeezed my hand as I was leaving. I liked that, it was a genuine gesture.

I donít know what the critter on top of that building is supposed to be.

With a full tank of gas and full tummy I headed out to see Selway Falls and took my time enjoying the views as I followed the river.

Taking time to enjoy the flowers along the way.

Decided to take a walk.

Couldnít resist getting a shot of the Superbug on the bridge.

Thereís a lot of water coming off the mountains.

The horses and mules that take the Forest Service workers up into the mountains.

Looks like there are going to be a lot of thimble berries in the area this year.

Another bridge shot just because I like bridges.

When I saw this sign it gave me an idea of how close I was to getting where I wanted to be the day before. I made it a few miles beyond the Indian Hill Lookout turn off. The lookout was only two miles from the road I was on but the road to the lookout was very muddy and rutted so I decided not to go up it.

At the end of the bridge I was looking for another cache I didnít find but I found some flowers.

Honeysuckles remind me of being a child exploring the forest behind our home. Finding honeysuckles was always a treat.

Last fall I attended the Wild_and_Scenic_Sober_Gathering and met some wonderful people. It was fire season in the beautiful Northwest and the smoke was heavy in the air. I wanted to see the how different the falls look in the spring time from the fall and be in the area without all the smoke.

Selway falls looks more like rapids than falls but itís a powerful place at any rate.

At some point in recent history the water was high enough to place a log on top of this rock.

Thatís a fish tunnel over there.

After enjoying the falls I made my way back to hwy 12 to look for a few caches and see what else I could find.

I stopped here which is a place I have ridden by a number of times but this is the first time Iíve stopped.

Went for a little walk to check this out.

Spring flowers blooming everywhere.

A ladybug enjoying the flowers along the way.

A nice big load of wood going down the road.

Stopped for a cache at a rest area and even found it. This is one big culvert.

Another flower that reminds me of my childhood and how their sweet smell would drift through the air as I walked to school.

With being as I cold as I was the night before I decided to head back to the Konkolville for the night. I liked the motel, the rates were reasonable and I didnít want to be cold again. It was nice knowing where I was going to spend the night and I went and got checked in.

After checking in I headed back to town for dinner deciding to splurge rather than to eat in my room. But before I went to dinner I took a short ride to check out a road I saw on the map. It started out being a nice road but then it changed to freshly laid deep gravel. I didnít feel like playing in squiggle gravel to go exploring so I turned around and found dinner.

It might not be gourmet or have the latest fad foods but the food was good and excellent service with a smile.

On my way back to the motel I stopped at a park to look for another cache. I didnít find it but I found this:

Back at the motel I took a hot shower, which felt so good. I think it was the only time I was warm all day. The weather wasnít cold once the sun came up but after the cold early morning I just couldnít seem to get warm.

All in all it was a good day, even though I was cold I enjoyed being able to camp one day, the ride along the rivers was beautiful and the people I encountered along the way were wonderful.

"As I started looking for the cache I became distracted by the concrete structure and wondered what it was."

Here's my stab at your question. When I first saw this structure, it looked like a silo to me. The square access's running up and down sure to remind me of one. But the location is not in your typical farm area. However, I did see a steel grain bin at Crutcher's Crossing at the old homestead site on the Owyhee River in very remote SW Idaho, which didn't make much sense either. Love the the thread, glad your keeping it going.

Here's my stab at your question. When I first saw this structure, it looked like a silo to me. The square access's running up and down sure to remind me of one. But the location is not in your typical farm area. However, I did see a steel grain bin at Crutcher's Crossing at the old homestead site on the Owyhee River in very remote SW Idaho, which didn't make much sense either. Love the the thread, glad your keeping it going.

Thank you I will keep it going, I might get busy at times and let it sit but when I do then I will be back with more. Your idea of what the concrete structure is makes some sense and better than my guess of it being Repunzel's tower.

Waking up warm and comfy Sunday morning I felt good about my choice of returning to the motel and it was confirmed with breakfast. As I was leaving I decided to ride up the road a bit north before heading for home. I found this old school or church.

Behind it was this old truck and a train trestle.

I wish I knew the history of this building, I bet there are stories that go along with it and the Konkolville motel and lumber mill.

As I started for home I was thinking it would be nice to get home early and get some things done. Those thoughts only lasted until I spotted the sign for the Dworshak Dam. I hadn't been there so it was a good time to check it out. I was surprised at how huge it is.

Itís amazing how large something like that really looks when you are right there. No matter how many photos Iíve seen of it, including mine, they donít come close to conveying just how big it really looks.

After looking at the dam I headed back to go home but once again I was side tracked, this time by a fish hatchery.

Just follow the orange fishies.

A sculpture on the way.

In the visitors center there was information about the sculpture.

Big coffee pots so the fish are wide awake?

The pretend fish were kind of cool.

Dang they run a lot of fish through here.

A fun fish wheel to play with

After a little education it was time to go back outside and see what I could find there. Empty troughs?

Taking time to enjoy the flowers.

Syringa

"The Syringa (Philadelphus lewisii) was designated the official state flower of Idaho in 1931. Syringa is a woody shrub growing to nine feet tall with with clusters of white, fragrant flowers".

"Native American Indians found many uses for the syringa - the wood was used for root digging sticks and to make pipe stems, harpoon shafts, bows, arrows, and snowshoes. The bark and leaves were used to make a soap".

I was promised big fish

So I kept following the orange fish

No one home

Found the fish ladders but there were no fish there either

OK Iíll keep off the walls, I wouldnít want to fall in that deep water.

Finally I found troughs with water in them but no fish in the water. Clearly I was here at the wrong time to check out fish.